West Fargo Protest Over Student Newspaper
Students And Teachers Challenge Removal Of School Paper Adviser
© Jon Pike
Jul 4, 2009
Students and teachers plan on turning out for the July 13th meeting of the West Fargo, North school board. They plan on protesting the removal of school newspaper adviser, Jeremy Murphy. The school board has declined to talk about the action and the actions remains shrouded in some mystery.
Removal May Be For Critical Articles In Award-Winning Paper
The action to remove Murphy as adviser of the paper is somewhat mysterious, as the paper has won awards under Murphy’s guidance. People have speculated that it is because the paper ran articles that expressed critical views of some administration decisions. For instance, critics of Murphy’s removal have pointed to an article in which students said they should have been given time off from school to aid efforts in fighting this year’s flood. The school decided to take a business as usual approach during the flood. The school board, however has declined to comment on the removal of Murphy. The school board has said they will stand by the decision regarding Murphy’s status. School Board President Tom Gentzkow says, “As board members, we don’t get involved with the daily grind and politics of what happens in each particular school, so we have to respect and support those (administrative) decisions. Administration and principals are hired to make tough decisions, and this is one of them.” Gentzkow has said that while students may discuss the journalism program at the upcoming school board meeting, they will not be allowed to address this decision, specifically.
Support In Community For Murphy
Both teachers and students are planning to come together for Murphy at the meeting. The West Fargo Education Association is calling for a show of support at the meeting. Students are also planning on attending to show their support for Murphy. The community’s daily newspaper, the Fargo Forum has taken the school board to task in a recent editorial: “It’s not clear whether a petition from students or action by the teachers’ union will be enough to reinstate Murphy. Maybe there is more to the story than has been made public. But the board’s handling of this hot potato has been about as clumsy and arrogant as it gets. The board, in effect, is punishing classroom success and denigrating students’ legitimate concerns.”
The West Fargo School District has also been taken to task over this issue by local KFGO radio host and former newspaper columnist, Mike McFeely, who has devoted time to this issue on his radio program.
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